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Presentations, Tours and Facilities

The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust embraces the opportunity to speak to community groups or to arrange for groups to come to our locations for presentations and tours.

Historical and botanical tours

A large number of tours are conducted across SMCT’s eight cemetery locations. These tours are led by staff and volunteers and provide a fascinating and educational experience. They also promote the cultural and heritage values of our locations and help to raise funds for maintenance and ongoing care.

SMCT cemeteries date back to 1852 and many are historically significant due to their interments, monuments, layout, buildings, materials, structures and horticulture.

Our cemeteries document and honour the lives of people from all walks of life, with headstones providing a unique glimpse into the past.

Botanical tours, especially those at Springvale Botanical Cemetery, offer fascinating insights into the history of landscaping and plantings and provide a wealth of horticultural information.

Tailored tours for groups

Each tour is tailored to meet the interests of particular social and community groups, including tours specifically designed for school and tertiary students. Tours are also tailored for specific industry groups, including funeral directors, celebrants, palliative care providers and professionals from various industries.

Night tours

Night tours of Melbourne General Cemetery are very popular as this is one of Australia’s most historically significant cemeteries, with a high number of notable interments. Night tours are conducted three times a year:

Midsummer (late February)

Full Moon (April-May)

Halloween (31 October).

Special night and day tours on the date and time of your choice are also available.

Springvale Botanical Cemetery

Established in 1901 and with over 400 acres of established gardens and over 27,000 roses, Springvale offers an historical and horticultural experience that is second to none.

Client Services Presentations

As many groups are interested in how our cemeteries operate and the services we provide, SMCT’s Client Services Consultants conduct informative presentations that can be tailored to meet particular interests and requests. These presentations often help to demystify cemeteries and provide invaluable information on cemetery processes.

Presentations can be made at the location of your choice or, if you prefer, we can also arrange to transport you to one of our locations, where we can take you on a tour of our grounds.

These presentations and tours can always be arranged on request, so for more information, please call (03) 8558 8210.